Original review by Chris, 10/5/2014

The concept Rebel Trooper is my favorite of the Ralph McQuarrie concepts as it seems the least “Star Warsy” and most quintessentially McQuarrie, although there is admittedly a fair degree of artistic license at play here on Hasbro’s part.  I believe this particular design exists only as a pencil sketch and the uniform colors were ad libbed.  The design feels more like the paintings Mr. McQuarrie did as cover art for science fiction novels rather than the used universe we’ve come to love.  In essence, the concept Rebel Trooper is the exact sci-fi trope that George Lucas was adamant about abandoning.  Why would I like something that I’ve just described as decidedly un-Star Wars?  It serves as a missing link between the Star Wars creative universe and the seventies science fiction predecessors that are still near and dear to my heart.

The most damning criticism I can make about the figure is the lack of ankle joints (noting that the slight “stroke mouth” on this sample is a production anomaly).  You can engage the knees and balance the figure on the tip of the same foot as you can see above, but rest assured that it’s quite a precarious stance.  It won’t stay that way for long without the assistance of a stand.  Speaking of the knees, they represent one of the most deftly concealed points of articulation in the history of the line.  They essentially become invisible with the legs are fully extended.  The figure only comes armed with a blaster pistol, but the arms have the requisite articulation and range of motion to interact with a long gun.  In fact the angle of the grips on the hands aligns so perfectly that I highly suspect the figure was originally intended to come with a rifle.

The real wow factor of some figures in the McQuarrie Signature Series is the interchangeability of the accessories and the Concept Rebel Trooper is no exception.  The top of the clam shell helmet can be removed revealing circuitry and electronics similar to the jaw assembly of Darth Vader’s helmet.  By popping off the ball jointed head, the entire helmet complex can be removed, as can the chest armor.  This gives you a myriad of display options for the figure, although the armored arms look a tad silly absent the chest armor.  It’s like a reverse sweater vest.  The figure has a working holster which only serves as a painful reminder that the movie-based Vintage Collection Rebel Fleet Trooper does not.  The only criticism of the holster is that it perhaps conceals the blaster pistol too well. 

The addition of ankles could definitely push the score of this figure a bit higher, but as it stands, it’s a solid 8 out of 10 and bordering on a nine score.  The Concept Rebel Trooper is numerically the last figure of the 2007 30th Anniversary Collection and part of the last wave.  It was re-released in 2008 but with a figure stand instead of the collector coin.  If you are still needing to track one down on the secondary market, it’s recommended you track down the 2007 version with the coin even though the 2008 version is rarer (remember that’s a relative term). 

Updated review by Chris, 2/13/2020

This figure is what they would have imagined a policeman on the moon would look like in one of those Tex Avery “World of Tomorrow” cartoons. 

And there’s officer Johnson taking a deep breath of that clean moon air.  Say, Officer Johnson, save some of that green cheese for me.

I still like this figure, and since the original review, I feel like it’s perhaps a bit more Star Wars-y than before.  It almost looks like the Episode IV Rebel Fleet Trooper and The New Republic Soldier (Davan) from the Mandalorian prisoner ship episode had a baby.  On the downside, the utter lack of sculpted fabric details in the uniform gives it a bit of an animated figure aesthetic.  If you pop a silly cartoon head on this, it would pass for a Rebels figure (except this has some articulation). 

The lack of ankles is just as bothersome as it was five years ago when this was originally reviewed.  In fact this figure might win the Oscar for “Most Painful Omission of Ankle Joints.”  The lower body posing options are really limited because of this.  And with that in mind, it requires a one point deduction in the score to reflect our new scoring system.  This brings it down to a 7 out of 10.

And thus we come to the end of our 30th Anniversary Collection basic figure reviews.  Again.  For the second time.  But don’t worry.  I’m sure in a few years I will get it in my head that we need to change our background to hot pink or something, and I will persuade Mr. Nomadscout that we have to retake all our photos for a third time.  [Editor’s Note:  Gray.  Hot pink.  Is there really a difference?]